Fanny Packs Can Add Versatility to Everyday Carry

Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases.

As a young cop in the late 1990s, I often carried my full-size pistol in a huge fanny pack while off duty. At the time, fanny packs were a popular means of carrying a wallet, keys, and back then, even a pager. Of course, fanny packs were also a great way to comfortably hide a gun in plain sight. But when fanny packs went out of style, the mere fact that you wore one was cause for suspicion.

These days, fanny packs are popular again, and they remain well-suited for concealed carry. Since fanny packs don’t require a belt like a traditional holster, you can carry your gun when wearing sweatpants or shorts—clothing you couldn’t easily wear while carrying a gun. For many, a fanny pack is a comfortable and convenient alternative to carrying in a traditional belt-mounted holster.

First impressions are important, and the goal is for your fanny pack not to make one. Avoid a pack that appears overtly tactical. A pack that hangs from your belly button to your knees, or one with MOLLE webbing and emblazoned with gun-themed patches, will garner unwanted attention. While the interior of your fanny pack should be specifically designed for carrying a handgun, the exterior should look like any other pack.

You’ll want to select a fanny pack with a holster to safeguard your gun and ensure it stays properly oriented for a smooth, consistent draw. The holster can be a belt holster with a clip that secures to the interior of the pack, or something as simple as a nylon strap with hook-and-loop attachment that will cover the trigger and hold the gun in place. Don’t keep anything in the compartment with your handgun that could enter the trigger guard— potentially leading to an unintended discharge—or impede your draw.

Holsters

Many fanny packs have integral nylon holsters that can be adjusted to secure a variety of handguns. If a hook-and-loop material is used, the holster can also be positioned exactly where you want to it and canted just right, so when you open the zippered compartment, your hand intuitively finds the grip.

There are quite a few fanny packs on the market designed specifically for concealed carry. Companies like Vertx, Falco, Elite Survival Systems, 5.11 Tactical, Eberlestock and others offer these types of fanny packs or sling bags.

Most fanny packs designed for concealed carry also have compartments to store potentially lifesaving equipment like extra magazines, a flashlight, a knife, a tourniquet. Of course, there should also be room for your wallet, keys and cell phone.

Despite its name, a fanny pack should not be worn over your fanny, at least not if it contains a gun. That would make your pack harder to control and would significantly increase draw time. Think of your fanny pack like a Claymore mine and keep the front toward the enemy.

Across the Chest?

Something I didn’t see back in the day was fanny packs being worn across the chest. It’s a convenient and practical option for carrying a pack, and these days, it’s not a tell that you’re armed. To chest carry a fanny pack from the perspective of a right-handed shooter, loop your left arm and head through the strap. Adjust the strap as needed for comfort and height.

When you’re using a fanny pack as a holster, the zipper initiates your draw. In this case, the zipper is comparable to a garment covering a belt mounted holster. If the zipper is too small, it will be difficult to reliably grab under duress. If it’s flimsy, the zipper may bend or break with repeated use, leaving you with a gun that’s difficult to access.

Regardless of the fanny pack and zipper configuration you settle on, expect to devote some practice time before using it to tote your gun in public. For safety, this should be done with an unloaded firearm or even a plastic “blue gun” version of your carry gun.

Practice unzipping the gun compartment and accessing your gun. You should stage the zipper so you can quickly unzip it using only your non-dominant hand. Your dominant hand only has one job and one job only: grab the gun.

Staging the Zipper

A right-handed shooter should stage the zipper all the way to the right so that once the zipper is grabbed, a single motion opens the gun compartment quickly and easily. A few practice draws should let you know whether you need to change the location or cant of the holster within the pack.

With the holster properly oriented and adjusted for your gun, you should be able to draw your gun with speed and efficiency. To my surprise, I was nearly as fast drawing from my fanny pack as from a concealed, belt-mounted holster.

But in addition to providing rapid access to your gun, certain types of fanny packs can even provide a degree of protection. Like some of their larger packs, the Vertx S.O.C.P. Tactical Fanny Pack will accept a Level IIIA soft panel from Premier Body Armor. While the coverage is limited by the size of the pack, the 8.5x5.5-inch ballistic panel could help protect your vitals when worn across your chest.

As fashion trends come and go, so has the use of a fanny pack for concealed carry. Not only are today’s fanny packs more stylish than ever, but they’re also more practical. Many are user-configurable and can be worn across the waist or across the chest, providing discreet carry and rapid access to your handgun and other potentially lifesaving gear.

---